Vertically slatted blinds for windows



Sept. 22, 1959 R. c. CLARK v VERTICALLY SLATTED BLINDS FOR wmnows Filed Feb. 9. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6. CLARK R. c. CLA'RK VERTICALLY sumo BLINDS FOR wmnows Sept. 22, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9. 1953 INVENTOR. ROBERT 6. CLARK ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,905,237 VERIIoALLY SLAIITED'BLINDS! FOR WINDOWS j 2 Robert C..lark,'San Francisco, Calif.

Applicafimn February- 9 1953,.Serial No. 335,729

' if 9Clain1s. or. 160-416) Thisvinventiion relatesto vertically' slatted blinds for windows; generally called. Venetian blinds, and relates morb flhticularlytosuch blinds having an improved slide and tiltingmeans fon sliding and. tiltingof thevertical SltlfS:

Briefly, the invention comprises a header unit carryins themechanismz to which vertical slats. may be attached. lThefheader; unit? hasa head strip plate by which the unit may be;supported,-depending from-which there is a pair of parallletraek rails oppositely reciprocable in unison which; are. shifted responsiveto suitable pulley means to tileslats-ofi'vthe -hlind'from an. opento a closed position, thestrackstpreferably having 'slidable thereon two-or more Series/on groups of.- shoe members which move longitudinallyan'd simultaneously-in opposite directions respon- Si-Yfiytt) adrawcorieach. shoe having between the tracks a elepenjdingjstirmp hanger-.to-whicha slat of the blind may beiattachedthehanger andthe shoe being adapted fon'turnin'g uponanaxisioopenand closethe slats when the tra'ck -rails .jare reciprocated= relatively. The shoes and the hangers-carrying the; slats;- are maintained on the track by wi ng flanges= piyotally' mounted on: each end of MISI'IQGSV, Means are; provided for-sliding the series of hoes-and; depending slats selectively toward and away from each other; andath-ismeansmay comprise a master glide-blockeonneoted to: the lead. shoe of' each ofthe respeetiyeaseries m groups",- themaster glide blocks being simultaneously movablesrelatively oppositely longitudinallyrof the, tracksbymeansfof flexible cord members, the

'seyeraleshoes-ineachseries following the lead shoe and master: glide blocls when theseriesofslats are drawn towardteaeh other; and thQeIGZdYShOBS of the respective series; suecessively pushing the other shoes and slats in but:necessityiiof further assembly other than the attachment of the series or groups of vertical slats.

' Since verticallyfslatted.Venetian blinds have two phases ofiopeninganth two phases of closing, the phase of drawihg tlie seriesongroups ef slats towards each other and towardsthe longitudinal center of the track rails will be referred teas drea and, the term stacked is used to indicate, that the seriesof slats are moved relatively totheopposite'ends of the track rail, whereas the slats willfhe referredto as open when the individual slats are relatively spaced. in a plane perpendicular to the. track- .rail s 1 that light may. passthrough between the slats andzwill be referred toz-as .closed when the plane 2,905,237 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 ice of the slats is tilted from such perpendicular plane toemplified is described herein and illustrated in the ac companying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken longitudinal front elevation of the invention with most of a covering canopy removed.

Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal plan view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken enlarged diagrammatic view of portions of structure shown in Fig. 2, but showing track rails in collapsed position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view on line 66 of Fig; 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged view on line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of structure shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7', with track rails and slat shown in broken lines.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section on line 9-9 of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of master glide blocks and draw cords.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of a slat member and stabilizing cord with fastener.

Referring to-the drawings in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views, it indicates generally an elongated header unit and 11 is a canopy of length substantially equal to the header unit for fitting thereover to obscure the mechanism from view. The header unit may be conveniently mounted for operation in any manner suitable to the locale such as by screws 12 if within a window or door casing, or by bracket 13 if mounted on a wall.

The header unit comprises a strip of head plate 14 which is illustrated herein as being substantially the length of the header unit. but may, if desired, be in a plurality of short sections only, each of which is of a length to support the mechanism which is connected to the head plate.

Underlying in spaced relation to the head plate- 14, is a track rail structure comprising a pair of spaced parallel track rails 15 preferably of angle iron, each having an inner vertical flange 16 serving as a track and an outer horizontal flange 17 serving as a plate for connecting the rails to the head plate, the vertical flanges being relatively opposed at the inner edges of the horizontal flanges 17. The track rails 15 are relatively connected at the opposite ends by parallel pivotal links 18 whereby the rails are relatively reciprocable, and when reciprocated may have simultaneous relatively opposite directional movement both laterally and longitudinally. Normally the rails are spaced and the end links form a rectangle when the slats are open as shown in Fig. 2, whereas, when the rails are relatively reciprocated to tilt the slats to a closed position as shown in Fig. 3 the track rails are moved more closely together, and, with the links 18, form a relatively narrow elongated parallelogram, which provides an unobstructed elongated slot between the vertical flanges 16 for the length of the rails for slid ingly receiving slat hanger stirrups 34, to be further described.

The track rails are supported in underlying relation to the head plate 14 by pairs of pivot posts 19 which have one end pivotally connected in the outward edge portion of horizontal flanges 17 of the track rails and have their opposite end securely mounted in the opposite end portions of elongated swivel plates which in turn swivel at a central point thereof on pins 21 mounted in the head plate 14, so that the pivot posts 19 in each pair move in opposite directions relatively when the swivel plates are moved.

Means are provided for reciprocating the track rails, said means comprising a conventional pulley 22 and cord 23 which rotates a pulley shaft 24 about which are turned several windings of a looped drive cord 25, the opposite end of the cord loop being double looped around a horizontal pulley 26, the latter being mounted for rotative oscillation on the under face of the central portion of head plate 14, by means of pin 21a. The web or disc of the drive pulley 26 has pivot posts 27 mounted therein relatively spaced from the axis on a radius substantially similar to the pivot posts 19 and similarly connected to the flange 17 of the track rail, whereby the posts 27 in rocking back and forth with the partial rotation or oscillation of the horizontal pulley 26 on the axis of said drive pulley, reciprocates the track rails in opposite direction relatively and thus also oscillates the plates 20 and pivot posts 19, whereby the vertical slats are tilted to opened and closed positions, as will be further described.

While the invention may be operative with a single series of slats, it is customary to provide a series of slats operating from each end of vertical slatted blinds. Therefore, means are provided to draw the respective series or groups of slats from a stacked position at opposite ends of the track rail toward a drawn position at the center of the rail, and vice versa. For this purpose there are provided two series or groups of sliding carrier shoes 28 which frictionally slide upon the upper edges of the vertical flanges 16 of the track rails. These carrier shoes are of sufficient length to extend laterally across the upper edges of the vertical flanges of the track rails when the rails are spread apart by reciprocation, and the width of the shoes is suflicient to extend laterally across the said upper track edges and slide thereon when the tracks are contracted towards each other by reciprocation thereof. The respective series or groups of carrier shoes 28 are guided and held on the track rail in sliding thereon by wing clips 29 pivotally mounted as at 30 on the opposite ends of each of the shoes. It is to be observed, however, that the shoes 28:: at the opposite ends of the track rail remain fixed by means of support posts 31 which have one end fixedly mounted in the head plate and their opposite end pivotally mounted in the shoes 28a.

The wing clips 29 at the opposite ends of shoes 28 comprise integral perpendicular flanges 29a and 29b and a retroverted flange 29c, the flanges 29a being seated on the shoe 28, the flanges 29b depending from the end of the shoe to parallelly ride along the vertical outer face of the sidewall of flange 16, and the retroverted flange 290 of the wing clips being integrally returned overlying the flange 29a and parallell spaced therefrom. The pivot pins 30 pass through the flanges 29a and 29c, and into the shoe 28. adjacent the ends of the shoe. The retro'verted flanges 29c are provided with notches 32 to receive a hitch or knot of a spacer string 33 which maintains the relative spacing of the slidable shoes and individual slats when the series or groups of shoes and slats are drawn towards the center of the track rail. Since the pivot pin 30 passes through the parallel flanges 29a and 29c and into the shoe 28 the wing clips 29 may be pivotally turned with relation to the shoe.

The depending flanges 29b continually slide in parallel contact with the respective outer vertical faces of the vertical track flanges 16, both when the track rails are relatively spread or relatively contracted by said reciprocation thereof. It is to be noted that the wing clips and shoes which suspend the slats are maintained substantially within the maximum width of the vertical flanges of the track rails. whereas the supporting pivot posts 19 are mounted adjacent to the outer edges of the horizontal flanges of the track rails, and by such spacing the shoes, the wing clips and the slats suspended thereby are freely slidable the entire length of the track rails.

Hanger means are provided on each carrier shoe by which individual slats may be suspended. As preferred, the hanger comprises a looped stirrup 34 departing fixedly from the central portion of each shoe 28 and having legs which are spaced lengthwise of the shoe 28 and preferably extend therethrough to form the pivot pins 30. The legs of the slat hangers are of suflicient length to extend through the space between the track rail so that the loop of the stirrup extends beyond the lower face of the horizontal flanges 17 of the track rails, the loop portion being adapted for engagement by a suitable hook 35 which supports one end of an individual vertical slat A, the hook having oppositely extended lateral arms 36 each of which is also turned into a hook at its free end to engage in suitable openings 37 in the end portion of the slats.

The slats being thus suspended, it is manifest that means are provided to move the series or groups of shoes and slats from a stacked position at the opposite ends of the track rail toward a drawn position at the center of the track rail, and also to move them in a reverse direction. Such means may be largely conventional with modifications to suit the novel sliding shoes and wing clips of the present invention. As herein exemplified, there is a horizontal pulley 38 at one end of the track rails and a pair of vertically mounted pulleys 39 at the opposite end of the track rails, parallel strands of an integral draw cord 48 passing around the horizontal pulley 38 and one strand thereof passing over each of the pulleys 39 and depending along the side of the slats at the end of the track rail for manual manipulation, as shown in Fig. 1. When one strand of the draw cord is pulled, the two parallel strands 4t) overlying the shoes move in opposite directions due to being looped around the horizontal pulley 38. Mounted upon the two parallel strands of the draw cords are a pair of master glide blocks 41 and 42, one of which is fixedly secured to each of the parallel strands of the draw cord as at 41a and 42a, the other strand of the cord having free sliding movement through an elongated tubular perforation 41b and 42b in the glide blocks, thus providing the opposite relative movement of the glide blocks upon pulling of either strand of the draw cords and the delimiting of such movement when the glide blocks come into confronting contact at the central portion of the track and the slats are at a drawn position. The forward shoe 28b of each series or group of shoes is provided with a fixed upstanding pin 45 mounted in an opening 46 of the shoe, and this pin is pivotally received in an appropriate opening 47 in each glide block. Wherefore, when the glide blocks are movedoppositely by the draw cord 40, the forward shoe 28b and depending slat of each series is likewise moved. If the movement is towards the drawn position at the center portion of the track rails, the shoes 28 and depending slats of each series are correspondingly moved by the connecting spacer string 33, whereas if the movement is toward a stacked position of the respective groups of slats on opposite ends of the track rail, the lead or forward shoes and slats will suecessively push the other shoes and slats of that group towards the opposite ends of the track rail to astacked position. 7

Since the track rails are parallelly linked at their opposite ends, they move more closely together when they are relatively reciprocated to tilt the slats as shown in Figs. 3 and 9. Due to the legs of the stirrups or slat hangers being transversely of the space between the track rails, this relative reciprocation of the track rails in one direction also correspondingly turns the legs of the slat hangers 34 substantially parallel with the tracks and correspondingly tilts the slats A on the vertical or longitudinal axes thereof to a closed position by means of hook and arms 36. The slats A are of a sufiicient width so that when thus turned, the adjacent longitudinal edges of the next adjacent slats marginally overlap to close passage of light therethrough. The turning of the stirrup hangers also correspondingly turns the shoes 28, but, since the wing clips are pivotally mounted and the depending flanges 29b engage the sidewalls of track flanges 16, the wings automatically adiusttheir position so that the depending flanges 29,11 remain coplanar with the track flange 16 and the position of the retroverted notched flanges is unaltered whereby the slats may be slid along the track rail regardless of the angle of tilt of the stirrup hangers and the slats suspended therefrom. Upon relative'reciprocation of the track rails in the opposite direction, the space between the rails is again widened and the wing clips. pull the stirrup hangers and shoes to a position transversely of the track rails, and thus tilt the slats to an open position. Y

While each of the carrier shoes 28 is illustrated. as having. an opening 46' centrally thereof, for uniformity of manufacture and interchange of parts, such opening is necessary only in the lead shoes 28b and the opposite end shoes 28a since the lead shoes connect with the master glide blocks, and the shoes at the opposite ends are connected to the fixed posts 31.

Vertical slatted blinds are supported at the upper end only, and it is desirable to have stabilizing means at the [lower free end of the slats to prevent swinging thereof. A preferred means for such stabilization is exemplified herein as comprising a small eyelet 50 near the lower end and adjacent one edge of the slat body to receive therein the head of snap fastener 51 of the glove type, a spacing cord 52 being hitched or knotted to the snap fasteners at appropriate linear intervals substantially corresponding with the linear spacing of the slats by the spacer cord 33.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and patentable is:

1. A vertical slat blind suspension comprising a pair of horizontally extending laterally spaced parallel track rails, a head plate means above the track rails suspending said track rails IfOl simultaneous opposite lateral and opposite longitudinal directional movement, means suspending a series of slats, each slat from both track rails, said last mentioned means including a single carrier shoe suspending each slat in said series of slats, each of said shoes extending transversely across both track rails and being slidably supported upon both of said track rails for free frictional contact movement therealong, wing clips pivotally mounted at the opposite ends of said shoes, each of said wing clips slidably engaging one of said track rails whereby, upon the reciprocation of the rails, said shoes and the plane of the slats suspended therefrom may be selectively turned between a position laterally transversely and a position longitudinally relative to the track rails, the means suspending the track rails including a plurality of downwardly extending posts having pivotal connections to the head plate and pivotally mounted to said track rails at points thereon cilearing said carrier shoes and wing clips, and whereby the carrier shoes and the wing clips may freely slide past said downwardly extending post connections.

2. A mounting unit for vertically slatted window blinds comprising a head plate for mounting the blind to a suitable support, a pair of relatively reciprocable parallelly spaced track rails depending from the head plate, said rails each having an outer horizontal flange and an inner vertical flange, the said inner vertical flanges being opposed in face to face relation and the edges of the inner Vertical flanges providing a pair of parallelly spaced edges of the track rails upon which shoes may slide, said spacing of the tracks providing an unobstructed elongated slot therebetween, means pivotally suspending the rails at the outer edge of the horizontal flanges thereof whereby the track rails may be relatively reciprocated, means for relatively reciprocating said track rails simultaneously oppositely both longitudinally and laterally, a plurality of shoes each of which is slidably mounted and supported on the edges of the vertical flange portions of both of the track rails, means pivotally mounted at the opposite ends of the shoes slidably engaging the vertical flanges for holding the shoes on the said' flange edges, a flexible means connecting the shoes, means for simultaneously sliding the shoes along the track rails, slat suspending means depending from said shoes andslidable in the slot between said track rails for vertically suspending slats from said shoes, said shoes and slat-suspending means being. turnable by relative reciprocationof the track rails for selec tively tilting the slats on their respective longitudinal axes to respective open and closed positions, saidslatsuspending means being adapted for connecting one end of the slats thereto, the said respective mountings of the rail-suspending means and the shoes on the respective horizontal and vertical flanges of the trackrails providing a space therebetween for free movement of the shoes along the track railspast said pivoted rail-suspending means.

3. Mounting apparatus for vertically slat-tedblinds having the elements of claim 2, the means for reciprocably mounting the track rails including swivel plates having pivot mounting to the head plate, and pivot posts extending therefrom, the opposite ends of the pivot posts being respectively pivotally connected to the head plate and the outer edge portion of the horizontal flange of the track rails.

4. Mounting apparatus for vertically slatted blinds having the elements of claim 2, the said holding means at the opposite ends of the shoes including wing clips pivotally mounted at the opposite ends of the shoes and depending from the shoes and adapted for sliding along the vertical flange wall of the track rails with the shoes.

5. A device of the character described having the elements of claim 2 and which includes releasable hook means engaging said slat-suspending means, said hooks having oppositely extended lateral arms each having a hook at its end for engaging in an opening in the slat end.

6. A device of the character described, having the elements of claim 2 and in which the slat suspending means includes stirrup hangers having spaced legs providing a loop depending from said shoes into the slotted space between the track rails, whereby said stirrup hangers are turnable with the shoes responsive to reciprocation of the track rails.

7. In an apparatus for mounting vertically slatted window blinds, a head plate and a pair of elongated relatively reciprocable parallelly spaced track rails suspended from the head plate, said track rails each having an outer horizontal flange and an inner vertical flange, the said innor vertical flanges being opposed in face to face relation and the upper edges of the inner vertical flanges providing a pair of parallelly spaced track edges upon which shoes may slide, said spacing of the track rails providing a freely open elongated slot therebetween, pivot posts adapted for pivotally suspending the track rails from the head plate, said posts being pivotally connected to the outer edges of said horizontal flanges whereby the rails may be relatively reciprocated, means for relatively reciprocating said track rails whereby the width of the slotted space therebetween is selectively increased and decreased, means for suspending a series of slats from said track rails and including a plurality of flexibly connected shoes each of which is slidably mounted on the edges of the vertical flanges of both the track rails, means carried by the shoes and engaging said vertical flanges whereby the shoes may be turned between lateral and longitudinal positions on the track rails responsive to reciprocation of the track rails, means for sliding the shoes along the track rails, and slat-suspending stirrup-like loops sliding with and depending from the shoes into the slotted space between the track rails for vertically suspending slats from said shoes, said stirrup-like loops having spaced legs depending from opposite end portions of the shoes and being turnable with the shoes by relative reciprocation of the track rails for selectively tilting the slats on their respec- 7 tive longitudinal axes to respective open and closed positions, the said mounting of the respective pivot posts and shoes on said respective flanges providing a space longitudinal of the track rails for free movement of the slatsuspending means along said rails past said pivot posts.

8. A device of the character described having the elements of claim 7 and in which the shoes are provided with wing clips pivotally mounted at opposite ends of the shoes and depending therefrom for sliding along the vertical flange wall of the track rails.

9. A mounting apparatus for vertically disposed window blind slats having the elements of claim 7, the means for reciprocably mounting the track rails including swivel plates having pivot mounting to the head plate, and the said pivot posts depending therefrom, the opposite ends of the pivot posts being securely connected to the outer edge portion of the horizontal flange of the track rails, whereby the relative reciprocation of the rails selectively increases and decreases the space between the rails for turning the shoes and slat-suspending means, and the said shoes having a wing clip pivotally mounted at opposite ends of the shoes and depending therefrom for slidably engaging the vertical flange wall of the track rails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,841,065 Simon Jan. 12, 1932 2,135,647 Streby Nov. 8, 1938 2,386,695 Lister-Torsen Oct. 9, 1945 2,422,407 Green June 17, 1947 2,556,942 Reimuller June 12, 1951 2,849,061 Toti Aug. 26, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 93,562 Germany Aug. 23, 1897 478,907 Great Britain Jan. 27, 1938 

